We all know that setting up a printer and getting it to work on an ongoing basis is about as fun as going to the dentist. That’s why it is nice to see Epson attempting to make that process more user-friendly with the XP-7100 Small-In-One Printer. The LCD touchscreen on the XP-7100 walks you through most of what you need to know, and the set-up super easy to navigate.

Compared to most other printers, setting up the Small-In-One printer is a delight

Right out of the box, you can see the attention to the user experience Epson put into this. The first thing we noticed with the printer is how carefully they shipped it. About a dozen blue tape pull tabs keep everything from being too jostled in transit and the instructions tell you where and how to remove these. Doing this lets you get a good look at all the parts of the printer so you know what’s what during the set-up phase.

Next, just plug it in and turn on the printer, lift the LCD panel, and choose your language. It’s that simple! Then, we installed the ink cartridges in a very explicitly explained and easy to understand 5 step process that is outlined in the instruction book. (NOTE: Definitely, do not use third-party ink cartridges or else a software update may brick your printer.) After we did that, we followed the prompts on the screen to “charge” the ink and that took about 7 minutes until it was ready to go.

Using the different paper sizes is pretty self-explanatory on the tray itself. Just adjust the tabs according to the size you are using and push the tray back in. The printer then automatically knows what size paper you are using.

We used a MacBook, a Mac, and an iPhone to print to the XP-7100. On the MacBook and Mac, we just went to the indicated website and installed the appropriate software. For mobile printing, we downloaded the Epson printer app which also lets you capture documents.

Printing and scanning are both fast, easy, and kind of fun

The XP-7100 may be called a “Small-In-One” Printer but it is still quite robust, weighing in at 21.5lbs with a storage size of 15.4″ x 13.3″ x 7.5″. Nevertheless, it fits comfortably on a shelf or desk. But what is not “small” about it, is its functionalities. This 5-color inkjet can print double-sided, has an auto document feeder of about 30 pages, and has an impressive list of copying and scanning features.

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The LCD touchscreen measures 4.3 inches and you can use it to view, edit, or print photos that you scanned or inputted directly with a USB stick. Printing capabilities included borderless photo printing that goes up to 8″ x 10″ in size and the printing is fast and illustrious at 12 seconds.

We chose the most colorful thing we could think of to print – a piece of alcohol ink art exploding with color, and we scanned and printed it so we could get a clear color comparison. Here is how it came out. The scanned and printed copy sits on top of the actual original art piece.

The scanned and printed copy sits on top of the actual original art piece.

That is some incredible color capture and printing! And the printer uses smudge, fade, and water-resistant Claria ink. The ink dried quickly and shined wonderfully on the premium glossy paper it was printed on.

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If you want to print some of your Facebook and Instagram photos directly without lots of convoluted transferring, get the Epson Creative Print App. From there you can make custom cards and collages.

Another neat unique feature for such a compact sized printer is that it’s able to print directly onto CDs or DVDs – a feature that Grandmas are likely to benefit from in the form of DVDs with family photos on it.

The Bottom Line

Epson’s Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One’s photo scanning and printing are both shockingly fast, beautiful, and true to color. The ink is smudge, fade, and water-resistant, and the LCD screen is extremely useful and easy to navigate as is its mobile printing. Overall, Epson’s Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One is a perfect choice for a home office or small business. It is easy to use, compact, packed to the brim with features, and fairly priced at $129.99 (on sale down from $199.99). Printer refills are also fairly priced and you can find those here.